If you’re new to painting, or just need a refresher on the basics, you might be a little confused about where to start. Or more specifically, how to break down what you’re looking at to better draw or paint it. This can be difficult without guidance as plenty of artists work on intuition and don’t always have language for what they’re doing. By breaking down the thought process of how to simply look and analyze what you see, you will have a better grasp of how to work through the many hurdles of making artwork. So, after reading this, I hope when you begin your next (or first) painting you’ll feel a bit more prepared.
Learning from Life
When first starting out, it is often recommended to ‘learn from life’ but why is that? This is mainly due to our eyes' ability to see depth and subtly but also because it teaches our brain simply how to look at things. For example, you could want to work on a portrait, so you start with a photograph of someone’s face. The photographer in this case has already decided how to compress the face into a 2D image with their choice of lighting, framing and focal length. So, what creative input is left for a painter besides copying the decisions made by the photographer? Very little.
Instead, we must learn to work from real life. We can see the person with eyes unclouded by the many tools of the camera. This allows our eyes to adjust to various lighting conditions with the person actually existing in that lighting. We can watch the subject move in the round and where subtle expressions pull between the brow or at corner of the mouth. We can move our bodies closer or farther away from the subject rather than zoom in on a detail only seen by a camera that is tempting to get lost in.
Measuring
By far, one of the most helpful ways of breaking down anything is by measuring it. While a ruler can provide a specific numeric value, what we need instead is an eye for how different elements of your subject for painting relate to each other via distance. This is developed over time, by taking note of what you’re looking at. It helps to narrate it in your head as to look.
If we continue with our portrait example, we can look at the distance between the eyes and might notice that the distance between the eyes is very closely related to the width of the eye itself. However, when the head turns, we may notice that the curvature of the skull and bridge of the nose compress this distance as the elements of the face overlap one another.
You might’ve even seen artists holding up their thumbs, a pencil or a paintbrush while looking at a subject. They are measuring their subject and using the tool and edge of their thumb to create visual shorthand to gauge size, proportions, angle of the subject’s features, the direction of one feature in contrast to another, and much more.
To do this yourself, you need to make sure your hand is at a similar distance from your own eye to the subject itself every time you lift your thumb or brush to check. So, straighten your back, hold your arm out and lock the elbow and remember the pose. Then close one of your eyes to limit your depth perception to make what you’re viewing flatter or more 2D so it will be easier to translate to paper or canvas.
Viewfinders
Another easy way to quickly get your composition squared away is to make a viewfinder, which is a simple tool made from paper.
Start with what you’re drawing on first, what are its proportions? For example, if you have a canvas that is 12”x12” then you know you’ll be working at a 1:1 ratio. So, to make a view finder that is going to help translate what you see onto your canvas, measure out a 1:1 ratio on cheap printer/scrap paper and cut out that size as a window in the paper. The hole can be 1”x1” or 3”x3” but it doesn’t need to be the same size as the actual composition, just the same ratio. From here you can tape down any edges made to cut out the center then you can hold up the paper to ‘frame’ what you want and give yourself an idea of what might look best for your composition.
Mind the Body
Art can be taxing, so always take a moment to take care of yourself. Be sure to always take breaks at regular intervals and set a timer if you need to. Drink water (but not the paint water!) Stretch, especially your back hands and wrists as there is a tendency to develop carpal tunnel and arthritis in these areas when overused.
You will be better in the long run if you listen to the needs of your body and adjust. Don’t force yourself to stay up all night if you’re hitting a wall. A good night's sleep and a fresh pair of eyes the following day will help you move better through creative problems better than powering through them.